The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (the IANA), as part
of the administrative functions associated with management of the domain-name
system root, is responsible for receiving requests for delegation and
redelegation of top-level domains, investigating the circumstances pertinent
to those requests, and reporting on the requests. In 2001, the IANA received
a request from the current technical contact for the .bi (Burundi) country-code
top-level domain (ccTLD) to change the sponsoring organization and change
the technical contact to an entity within the sponsoring organization.
This report gives the findings and conclusions of the IANA on its investigation
of that request.

Factual
and Procedural Background

The .bi ccTLD was first delegated in October 1996 to Fabien
Kayijuka as administrative contact and Frédéric Grégoire
as technical contact. Mr. Kayijuka was associated with the IBPT 
Connectivite au reseau Internet of Bujumbura, Burundi. At the time of
the initial delegation in 1996, Frédéric Grégoire,
was associated with IZPT  Connectivite au reseau Internet,
an ISP located in Kinshasa, Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo),
which at the time operated the (.zr) Zaire ccTLD. Because Burundi was
then dependent on infrastructure in Zaire for Internet connectivity, technical
support for the .bi ccTLD was initially handled by Mr. Grégoire
of IZPT.

In 1998, the role of administrative contact was transferred
to Victor Ciza of Centre National de L'Informatique (CNI), who has served
as administrative contact since that time.

On 6 September 2001, Mr. Ciza submitted a request to the
IANA to change (among other items) the technical contact from Frédéric
Grégoire to Felix Ndayirukiye, who is associated with CBINET s.a.,
a subsidiary of CNI providing Internet services in Burundi. The request
also sought to amend the listed sponsoring organization to read only Centre
National de l'Informatique (CNI), the entity in Burundi. (The listed sponsoring
organization currently includes a reference to Interpoint SARL, a Swiss
organization with which Mr. Grégoire is associated.) Thus, the
effect of the requests was to shift away from out-of-country operation
of the .bi ccTLD and to an in-country technical contact and sponsoring
organization. The existing technical contact, Frédéric Grégoire,
agreed to these changes, as did Mr. Ciza.

Consultations were conducted within Burundi regarding this
change, which indicated significant support for moving the operation of
the .bi ccTLD into Burundi, and for the continued operation of the ccTLD
by CNI. In view of the proposed shift in the delegated authority over
the .bi domain, discussions ensued regarding establishing more formal
accountability regarding the delegation. By early 2002, CNI and the Internet
Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers had successfully negotiated
a memorandum of understanding under which the informal arrangements under
which Mr. Ciza and Mr. Grégoire had been delegated responsibility
for the .bi domain would be replaced with a formally documented delegation
of the .bi ccTLD to CNI. After the Ministry of Communication of the Republic
of Burundi endorsed the redelegation to CNI and the entry of the memorandum
of understanding in March 2002, the memorandum
was entered as of 16 May 2002.

Evaluation

This report is being provided under the contract
for performance of the IANA function between the United States Government
and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). Under
that contract, ICANN performs the IANA function, which includes
receiving delegation and redelegation requests concerning ccTLDs, investigating
the circumstances pertinent to those requests, and reporting on the requests.

In acting on redelegation requests, the IANA currently follows
the practices summarized in "Internet
Domain Name System Structure and Delegation" (ICP-1). ICP-1 represents
an update of the portions of RFC 1591 (which was issued in March 1994) dealing with ccTLDs, and reflects
subsequent documents and evolution of the policies followed by the IANA
through May 1999.

In considering delegation or redelegation of a ccTLD, the
IANA seeks input from persons significantly affected by the transfer,
particularly those within the nation or territory which the ccTLD has
been established to benefit. As noted
in ICP-1, the parties affected include especially the relevant government
or public authority: "The desires of the government of a country
with regard to delegation of a ccTLD are taken very seriously. The IANA
will make them a major consideration in any TLD delegation/transfer discussions."

Mr. Ciza's longstanding service as administrative contact,
working under the auspices of CNI, has demonstrated their commitment to
serving the Burundi Internet community. This commitment has been further
demonstrated by CNI's willingness to enter into the memorandum of understanding
providing formal accountability for its stewardship of the .bi ccTLD.
It is also reinforced by the support of the Burundi government.

As the Internet has grown within Burundi, it is appropriate
that a technical contact within Burundi be formally designated, reflecting
the shift in technical operations from outside the country to within.
The IANA's review indicates that CBINET and Mr. Ndayirukiye possess the
technical competence to carry out assignment of domain names and operation
of nameservers. The presently listed technical contact, Mr. Grégoire
has endorsed designation of Mr. Ndayirukiye as technical contact. CNI,
which has accepted accountability for the ccTLD under its
memorandum of understanding, has designated Mr. Ndayirukiye as such.

The shifting of ccTLD delegations from individuals that
have been designated informally as administrative and technical contacts
to organizations operating under written agreements or memoranda of understanding
is a positive step toward the stable and professional operation of ccTLDs
in the public interest. As the Internet becomes increasingly important
to global society, it is important that a framework of accountability
be established for the operation of all top-level domains, both to promote
the global interoperability of the domain-name system and to ensure that
the interests of local Internet communities are well-served.

In February 2000, the ICANN
Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) issued a document entitled "Principles
for the Delegation and Administration of Country Code Top Level Domains,"
commonly known as the "GAC Principles." These principles serve
as "best practices" to guide governments in assuming proper
roles with respect to the Internet's naming system, which the GAC has
observed is a public resource to be administered in the public interest.
In general, they recognize that each government has the ultimate responsibility
within its territory for its national public-policy objectives, but also
that ICANN has the responsibility for ensuring that the Internet domain-name
system continues to provide an effective and interoperable global naming
system.

The GAC Principles guide governments on how to responsibly structure
their relations with ccTLD managers (see clauses 5.5
and 9).
The GAC Principles recommend that governments and ICANN pursue their respective
roles by creating a framework for accountability memorialized in communications
with each other and with the ccTLD manager (see clause
2). In this case, however, the Burundi government has expressed its
support for entry of a bilateral memorandum of understanding between CNI
and ICANN. These bilateral arrangements promote the DNS's stable and reliable
operation by allowing for accountable operation by the manager, pending
appropriate expression by the relevant government or public authority
for participation in a triangular arrangement (see GAC
Melbourne Communiqué part B (10 March 2001)).

Conclusion

The IANA concludes that the .bi ccTLD should be redelegated, as requested,
from the current delegees to Centre National de l'Informatique (CNI).
The administrative and technical contacts should be recorded as Victor
Ciza and Felix Ndayirukiye, as designated by CNI under its memorandum
of understanding with ICANN.

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